Chapter Twelve: Annika
My world seems like it has changed overnight. I’m no longer asking myself what the next step in my life is going to be because everything is unfolding before my eyes in a way I cannot control. Natalia is out there, a girl I used to call my best friend, ready to do anything to please her family, no matter who she hurt in the process.
I’m falling in love with a man that is heavily involved in crime, that has shown me the way, and allowed me to enjoy it alongside him. A few months ago, I would’ve never guessed I’d end up here, that I would even consider going on the run hoping that I was going to make it out alive.
The truth is, Natalia isn’t going to stop until she gets what she wants until she can show her family that she’s worthy of joining them in taking down anyone that gets in their way.
I’m worried that Stephan and I are going to be outnumbered, and I’m scared that the Chadovs are going to go after my family once they get back in town. I suppose I’m going to have to tell them about what happened, and everything that has transpired since they left. I don’t think I can keep this a secret from them anymore.
Stephan and I were curled up on the hard yet springy mattress in a little motel room just outside of town. It was the only place we could think of to hide while Stephan did what he could to find out exactly how much danger we were really in. Stephan didn’t have the backing of Eduard and Feliks anymore.
I was glad to be near him, I was glad to still have him by my side even though he could’ve headed for the hills a long time ago. He decided to stay with me because he cared, and I understood that it hurt him knowing that he was putting me in danger, but I couldn’t just leave him behind. We had something special between us, something that made me question everything I’d come to know about myself because, in such a short amount of time, I’d become someone completely different.
I was stronger, more resilient, and ready to take on whatever life had to throw at me. It felt like it was just a few days ago when I was fearing for my life, worried that I was going to end up dead by the hands of some men that broke into my house.
Now, I knew who orchestrated that whole affair and what they were really after. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand because after seeing the Malevich painting in person, I knew that it was likely one of the most expensive pieces out there, and it was one my father and I used to discuss in great detail.
It was his dream to own that painting in his collection, knowing just how much it was worth, and the notoriety it would bring hanging proudly on his wall, but now it had become a treasure in a hunt that we were caught in the middle in.
If Natalia’s family would go to such lengths to get this painting, then I have to believe that there are others out there who would do the very same thing.
The thought alone made me shudder, and I pondered for a moment whether Stephan and I were going to be able to take on every single enemy that came our way all by ourselves. He had trained me well, but I wouldn’t know how I’d operate under pressure if the time came, and I was afraid of freezing on the spot.
I was afraid of something bad happening to Stephan, leaving me to figure things out on my own, because I didn’t know if I was genuinely capable of doing so.
I had to hold out hope that we were going to find a way out of this mess. There was still so much about this entire situation that I didn’t understand, so much I had yet to learn, and I had a feeling I was going to have to put my knowledge into practice much sooner than I would like to.
Natalia’s family, much like my own, had enough money to buy them an entire army, but mine still had no idea that we were facing any danger. My mother and father both still thought that we were holed up at home, enjoying our mundane lives, awaiting their return.
I was curious about how they would react if they could see me now, being able to hold my own, but also getting involved with a man that they probably wouldn’t like.
It was a rule of thumb that certain crime families didn’t like each other even if they never called them enemies, and after everything I’d told Stephan about mine, I could tell that there was some bad blood between the two of them. Stephan and I didn’t get a chance to talk about any of those things, and I didn’t think we’d get the opportunity before I’d have to return home to tell my family what had been going on.
Everything had spiraled completely out of control much faster than I expected, but there was at least one thing I could certainly count on, and that was Stephan. He slept so peacefully next to me, his breathing slow and calm, while I leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. He stirred in his sleep for a moment, his eyes slowly fluttering open, squinting back at me, while he smiled.
It was these moments that made me realize why I had put so much on the line to stay with him, why I didn’t want to call up my family right then, and beg them to come home. I didn’t want to leave him, and even though I knew that when we both had the chance to meet with my family, he was going to be forced out of my life.
I knew how my father was, and it wouldn’t take him long to see that I was in love with Stephan but I promised myself that no matter what happened, I would stay loyal to Stephan. He had done so much for me, so much that I can’t even comprehend because he had everything going for him.
He was building an empire of his own, had a fun, exciting life with friends he’d known his entire life, and he threw it all away to protect me. I couldn’t understand it at first, but gazing into his eyes right then, I realized that I would’ve done the very same thing for him.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said, leaning in to kiss me, feeling his lips press into mine.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I replied, while he pulled me in closer. I could feel the heat of his skin while his legs tangled around mine, the lace of my underwear brushing against him while he ran his fingers through my hair.
The room around us was hot, leaving our bodies sweating, while he helped me out of his button-up shirt that I’d been wearing. He glanced down at my bare chest, running his fingertips down my décolletage, over my nipples, while the tension began to explode like fireworks inside of me.
I wanted to feel all of him, I wanted him to remind me how good we were together, what the spark felt like when he slipped inside me and judging from the look in his eyes, he felt the same way. He rose up, tossing the covers off us both so he could slip between my legs, pulling out his hard dick, while I got ready for what he’d do next. I bit my lip in anticipation, while he smiled down at me before he dove right in.
“Let me see you, Annika,” he said, guiding my legs open while he glanced down at my already wet pussy. He ran his fingers along my pussy lips, my wetness coating his fingers as he started kissing the inside of my thighs.
My breath quickened as he grew closer to my pussy, his kisses turning to bites, while he sucked on the lips a little longer, making me go absolutely insane. It dawned on me just how incredible it felt to be teased, how exuberant it was to feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter around, reminding me that our connection was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
He didn’t hesitate to start licking me up and down, his tongue moving in circles around my clit with perfect rhythm, as I let out a moan that grew in volume the more he went to town on me. He raised his eyebrows, and I caught him looking up at me, enjoying just how good of a job he was really doing.
I was mesmerized by what he could do with his tongue alone, and I wanted nothing more than for him to drive his dick deep inside of me.
I reached down to lift his head up, indicating that I was ready for him, but he smiled, shaking his head because he wasn’t quite finished with me yet.
